Today’s podcast features a question and answer series with Joel Smith.  Questions for this podcast revolved heavily around the transfer of various strength protocols and systems to speed and athletic performance, as well as many elements on speed training, jumping and footwear/fascia concepts.

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View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.

Timestamps and Main Points:

3:00 – How to get strength training to transfer better to speed and sprint outputs on the track.

6:30 – My take on the “Functional Patterns” training system.

9:15 – Sprint workouts for horizontal jumping events.

13:30 – Can the weight-room make you faster? Where can it not help, or go too far?

23:49 – How “quad dominant” athletes can become better through their foot and hips.

29:30 – How to look at “fascial” training, in light of the other systems of the body in movement.

35:55 – My take on reactive, drop-catch squat type motions.

43:10 – How to sprint in a gym with less space availability.

47:10 – Thoughts on the value of moving light weights fast, versus using heavier weights and sprints and plyometric training.

51:25 – The most valuable thing I’ve learned coaching U5 and U6 kids in soccer.

58:20 – The importance of maximal velocity training for distance running athletes.

1:02:40 – Do I see value of concentric loaded jumps in sprinting.

1:04:10 – The role of minimal shoes in basketball play.

About Joel Smith
Joel Smith is the founder of Just Fly Sports and is a sports performance/track coach in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Joel hosts the Just Fly Performance Podcast, has authored several books on athletic performance, and in 2021, released the integrative training course, “Elastic Essentials”.  He currently trains clients in the in-person and online space.

Joel was formerly a strength coach for 8 years at UC Berkeley, working with the Swim teams and professional swimmers, as well as tennis, water polo, and track and field.  A track coach of 15 years, Joel coached for the Diablo Valley Track and Field Club for 7 years, and also has 6 years of experience coaching sprints, jumps, hurdles, pole vault and multi-events on the collegiate level, working at Wilmington College, and the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse, along with his current work with master’s, high school and collegiate individuals.

Joel has had the honor of working with a number of elite athletes, but also takes great joy in helping amateur athletes and individuals reach their training goals through an integrative training approach with a heavy emphasis on biomechanics, motor learning, mental preparation, and physiological adaptation.  His mission through Just Fly Sports is: “Empowering the Evolution of Sport and Human Movement”.  As a former NAIA All-American track athlete, Joel enjoys all aspects of human movement and performance, from rock climbing, to track events and weightlifting, to throwing the frisbee with his young children and playing in nature.